New here / AR12670 whitelight using EdgeHD11

[LauraMS]

Hello Everybody,

I thought I should introduce myself here after reading for quite some time. I have a PST since many years but haven't used it recently because I am currently trying to optimize my setup and technique using my new-to-me EdgeHD11 whitelight setup.

What follows is an example from this morning (AR12670):
As said above most of my current solar imaging is obtained with my EdgeHD11 with tempest fans, Baader ND3.8 and SolarContinuum filters, Powermate2x (sampling 0.22as/px). Today I operated the Basler IMX174 camera at 81fps for 20sec (12bit acquisition, 4ms images with gain 4000). The measurement was done using GenikaAstro and triggered by the Airylab Solar Seeing Monitor with min/ave/max = 0.44/0.73/1.66as seeing. Stacking of 1% images using AS3!, postprocessing with IMPPG. Jetstream at 99km/h has been ok but could be better as well.

Anyway, here is the result:

AR12670 _2017-08-09_SolarContinuum.jpg (145.42 KiB) Viewed 2107 times

Best wishes,
Laura

[marktownley]

Hi Laura! Welcome to the forum. Great image!

I use the tempest cooling fans with my 8" Airylab HaT too.

Mark

[ffellah]

Welcome to the group with this high quality shot, Laura ! Nice granulation, on top....

Franco

[Derek Klepp]

Welcome Laura and a fantastic image.

[Carbon60]

Beautiful image, Laura. Welcome to the forum.

Stu.

[LauraMS]

Thank you so much Mark,Franco, Derek, and Stu for your nice welcome to this forum and for your kind comments on above image.

Mark, if seen that you are also using Tempest Fans. What are your experiences? I installed them from experience with my 8inch SCT where I have the impression that high-resolution (nightsky) work,e.g. planetary, is usually hampered by seeing, often tube seeing. So it was quite clear that I would install them in my new C11, and that I would also test them in solar imaging. Haven't had time to compare imaging with and without them, but the image above is probably the best I have made since I bought the scope. It is unclear currently to me if the image quality was like it is because of the fans or just because the jetstream was a bit slower.

[GreatAttractor]

That's a cracking image, Laura! Everything is nicely resolved. Though I would show some more of umbral details, there should be something to see, like e.g. in http://astrob.in/22917/0/, http://astrob.in/23205/D/; that is, if they weren't clipped during recording.

You might be interested in Piotr's approach to tube currents in his C11: http://www.nauka.rk.edu.pl/w/p/obserwac ... a-baadera/ (two bottom pictures). I used it with my Mak 180, but didn't get around to verifying how much difference it makes.

[Montana]

A very warm welcome Laura
What a fantastic WL, splendid granulation
Alexandra

[Valery]

Wecome here, Laura!

More pictures, please.


Valery

[christian viladrich]

Very well done Laura !

I suggest you turn to 8 bits acquisition instead of 12 bits. Then you can go up to 160 fps, meaning more choice for the selection of images.
The only situation where 12 bits acquisition is when you need a huge dynamic such as this :
http://www.astrosurf.com/viladrich/astr ... ndree.html
Hope this helps

[pedro]

Welcome to Solarchat Laura, fantastic HR WL image

Please keep them coming

[Albuqshutterbug]

Indeed Laura,
Welcome and what a grand entrance you have made.
Beautiful shot and great granulation.
Well done.
Jim

[LauraMS]

Thanks everybody for your warm welcome! Good to hear such nice comments from experts in the field ...

@Filip: thanks for your images - currently I am traveling and have no access to my images, but will see if I can get more umbral detail. Btw., nice video at Astrobin! I also tried isolating my older C8 similar to Pjotr. I know that Christian has done similar things. My experience was not bad as well, but as you I never made it to directly compare between both setups. This will be easier with the fans ... I'll report on the results if I had a chance to research that.

@Christian: Thanks for indicating the difference bitween 8 and 12 bit - I was aware of that and just wanted to test the difference. As it turned out - somewhat unexpectedly - the (single) 12bit acuisition image was the best of all that morning. Probably I need to scan and postprocess all the other images I acquired ...

[xn44]

Superimage!!

[robert]

Beautiful image. Great detail
Robert